Solvent-resistant microporous polybenzimidazole membranes and modules

ABSTRACT

Solvent-resistant polybenzimidazole membranes, methods of making them and crosslinking them and composite membranes and hollow fiber membrane modules from them are disclosed.

The priority of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/125,345, filed Mar.19, 1999 is claimed. This is a divisional of application Ser. No.09/525,580 filed Mar. 15, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,639.

The government has certain rights in this invention pursuant to ContractNo. 68D70053 awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Microporous flat sheet and hollow fiber membranes are well known in theart. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,230,463 and 4,772,391. Suchmembranes are typically made by a solution-casting process (flat sheets)or by a solution precipitation process (hollow fibers), wherein thepolymer is precipitated from a polymer/solvent solution. Conventionalpolymers used for microporous membrane formation by solutionprecipitation are not resistant to the solvents used to form the polymersolution for the casting or spinning fabrication, or to solvents ofsimilar strength since such solvents dissolve or swell the polymer.Thus, membranes made from conventional polymers cannot be used to treatfeed streams containing solvents or other harsh chemicals.

The manufacture of solvent-resistant membranes from polyimides is wellknown in the art. See, for example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No.5,753,008. This patent discloses a process for spinning a fiber from aprecursor polymer, and then rendering the fiber solvent-resistant in apost-casting step. Such membranes are indeed solvent-resistant. However,polyimides are known to be susceptible to hydrolysis when exposed towater at elevated temperatures. As a result, these solvent-resistantmicroporous polyimide fibers are not suitable for applications where thestream to be treated is hot and contains water.

One polymer that has been shown to be stable to hot water ispolybenzimidazole (PBI). PBI has also been shown to be chemicallyresistant after crosslinking. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.4,693,824, 4,020,142, 3,720,607, 3,737,042, 3,841,492, 3,441,640,4,693,825, 4,512,894 and 4,448,687. In these patents, various processesfor making membranes from PBI are disclosed. However, the resultingmembranes are not microporous, but instead have a dense skin on at leastone surface, resulting in low permeation rates. These patents alsodisclose a number of techniques for crosslinking the PBI membranes.However, these crosslinking procedures lead to a dramatic increase inthe brittleness of the membrane, making them difficult to manufactureand use.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There are several aspects of the present invention.

In a first aspect, the invention comprises a microporoussolvent-resistant hollow fiber membrane formed from polybenzimidazole(PBI), the membrane being characterized by exceptional nitrogenpermeance, high tensile strength and high elongation at break, making itparticularly well-suited as a coatable support for fabricating compositepermselective membranes.

In a second aspect, the invention comprises a method of making such asolvent-resistant PBI membrane.

In a third aspect, the invention comprises a countercurrent flowseparation module incorporating a composite membrane wherein at leastone selective coating is placed on a surface of such a solvent-resistantPBS membrane.

In a fourth aspect, the invention comprises a method of crosslinking amembrane (hollow fiber, flat sheet, or tubular; microporous, isoporous,non-porous, or asymmetric) formed from PBI using a multi-functionalalkyl halide.

The membranes of the present invention are useful for a variety ofapplications, including ultrafiltration, microfiltration and membranecontactors; and as supports for composite membranes that are used insuch applications as reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, pervaporation,vapor permeation and gas separations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In contrast to the procedures of the prior art, it has now been foundthat microporous PBI membranes with exceptional performance and solventresistance, can be made by proper selection of the procedures for makingand crosslinking the membranes.

In one aspect, the invention comprises a microporous hollow fibermembrane formed from PBI, the membrane being fabricated by the followingsteps:

-   -   (a) providing a fiber-spinning polymer solution comprising 15 to        30 wt % PBI, 2 to 5 wt % high molecular weight pore-former with        a molecular weight of >1000 daltons, 5 to 30 wt % low molecular        weight pore-former, with a molecular weight of ≦100 daltons, and        a solvent;    -   (b) forming a spun membrane by extruding the polymer solution        through an orifice at a temperature of 25° to 60° C. while        simultaneously injecting a coagulating fluid through a needle        located in the orifice;    -   (c) providing a quench bath;    -   (d) passing the spun membrane through the quench bath at a        temperature of 10° to 40° C. to form a microporous hollow fiber        membrane; and    -   (e) rinsing the membrane.        Additional optional steps include drying and post-treating the        membrane by crosslinking or annealing.

The microporous hollow fiber PBI membranes formed by this process haveexcellent properties for a wide variety of membrane separationprocesses. Generally, the membranes have a gas permeance of at least 5m³/m²·hr·atm, preferably at least 10 m³/m²·hr·atm. In addition, thesurface pores on the membrane (both inside and outside surfaces of thehollow fiber) are greater than about 0.05 μm, and less than about 1 μm.The fibers have a tensile strength of at least 100 g/filament,preferably at least 200 g/filament. The fibers also have an elongationat break of at least 10%, preferably at least 15%. The fibers can alsobe made with a wide range of diameters and wall thicknesses, dependingon the application of use. Generally, the inside diameter of the fiberscan range from about 200 μm to about 1000 μm, and the wall thickness ofthe fibers can range from about 30 μm to about 200 μm.

The invention can be used with virtually any PBI, and in particular withthose described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,895,948, 5,410,012, and 5,554,715,the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. ThesePBIs have the following general repeat structure:

where R is a tetravalent aromatic nucleus, typically symmetricallysubstituted, with the nitrogen atoms forming the benzimidazole ringsbeing paired upon adjacent carbon atoms of the aromatic nucleus, and R′is selected from (1) an aromatic ring, (2) an arylene group, (3) analkylene group, (4) an arylene-ether group, and (5) a heterocyclic ring,such as a pyridine, pyrazine, furan, quinoline, thiophene, or pyran. Apreferred PBI is poly(2,2′-[m-phenylene])-5,5′-bis-benzimidazole.

It has been found that to obtain a microporous fiber with high porosityand high gas permeance while maintaining excellent physical propertiessuch as high tensile strength and elongation at break, a mixture of ahigh molecular weight pore-former and a low molecular weight pore-formershould be used. The weight ratio of high molecular weight pore-former tolow molecular weight pore-former should range from 0.05 to 0.5,preferably from 0.075 to 0.25.

The high molecular weight pore former should have a molecular weight ofat least about 1000 daltons. It should also be soluble in the solventused for the fiber-spinning polymer solution and in the materials usedfor the internal coagulation solution and the quench bath. Examples ofsuitable high molecular weight pore-formers include polyvinylpyrollidinone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc),polyethylene glycol (PEG), and polypropylene glycol (PPG). A preferredhigh molecular weight pore-former is PVP.

The low molecular weight pore-former should have a molecular weight ofno greater than about 100 daltons, and should be hydrophilic. It shouldalso be soluble in the solvent used for the fiber-spinning polymersolution and in the materials used for the internal coagulation solutionand the quench bath. In general, the class of useful low molecularweight pore-formers comprises (i) a lower alkanol, (ii) a polyfunctionalalcohol, (iii) ester and ether derivatives of an alkanol, (iv) ester andether derivatives of a polyfunctional alcohol, (v) mixtures of (i)–(iv),and (vi) mixtures of water and at least one of (i)–(v).

Examples of suitable low molecular weight pore-formers includemonofunctional alcohols, such as methanol (MeOH), ethanol (EtOH),isopropyl alcohol (IPA), n-propanol, and the various isomers of butanol;polyfunctional alcohols, such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, andglycerol; and ether and ester derivatives of monofunctional andpolyfunctional alcohols. A preferred low molecular weight pore-former isn-propanol.

Preferred solvents for the fiber-spinning solution includedimethylacetamide (DMAc), dimethylformamide (DMF) and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). The fiber-spinning polymer solution preferably isfiltered to remove oversize particles and lumps through a fine gage(10–30 μm) filter, and has a viscosity of from 15,000 to 50,000 cp atthe spinning temperature, which is preferably conducted at from 25° to60° C. Fiber-spinning or extrusion is conducted at an extension rate offrom 1 to 5 cm³/min, depending upon the spinning solution viscosity andthe temperature at which the extrusion is conducted. A preferredextrusion rate is 2 cm³/min. Conventional tube-in-orifice spinnerets maybe used, typically having an orifice diameter on the order of 500 to1500 μm and a tube on the order of 25- to 30-gage.

Both the internal coagulation solution and the quench bath preferablycomprise a polar solvent selected from MeOH, EtOH, n-propanol, IPA,DMAc, water and mixtures thereof. Rinsing is preferably conducted withwater and/or IPA.

In another aspect, the invention comprises a method for crosslinking aPBI membrane by the following steps:

-   -   (a) providing a crosslinking solution comprising a        multi-functional alkyl halide in a solvent;    -   (b) soaking the membrane in the crosslinking solution for 0.5 to        48 hours and at a temperature from 50 to 150° C.; and    -   (c) drying the membrane for 0.5 to 48 hours at a temperature of        25° to 200° C.

The multi-functional alkyl halide should contain at least two halidesubstituents, and has the general structure

where X is Br or Cl, n is 1 to 11, a is 1 to 10, b is 0 to 4, and c is 0to 6. A preferred class of difunctional alkyl halides comprises straightchain, terminally di-substituted compounds having the structureX—(CH₂)_(n)—CH₂—Xwhere X and n are as defined above. A most preferred difunctional alkylhalide is dibromobutane (DBB).

The alkyl halide may also contain three or more halide substituents.Exemplary alkyl halides with three or more halide substituents includetribromopropane, trichloropropane, pentaerythrityl tetrabromide, andpentaerythrityl tetrachloride.

The solvent used to dissolve the alkyl halide should not react with thealkyl halide and should not dissolve the uncrosslinked PBI membrane.Preferred solvents include ketones, such as acetone, methyl isobutylketone (MIBK), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and pentanone; and ethers,such as isopropyl ether and butyl ether. The resulting crosslinked PBImembrane has exceptional chemical and thermal resistance.

In another aspect, the invention comprises a crosslinked microporoushollow fiber membrane formed from PBI, the membrane being fabricated bythe following steps:

-   -   (1) providing a fiber-spinning solution having the makeup noted        above;    -   (2) forming a spun membrane by extrusion as noted above;    -   (3) passing the spun membrane through a quench bath as noted        above to form a microporous hollow fiber membrane;    -   (4) rinsing the membrane; and    -   (5) crosslinking the membrane as noted above.

In another aspect, the invention comprises a composite hollow fibermembrane comprising at least one permselective coating formed on acrosslinked microporous PBI hollow fiber membrane made as describedabove. The permselective coating that is applied depends upon theparticular separation it is desired to achieve, such as the removal ofwater vapor from organics, the removal of volatile compounds from watervapor, the separation of organics or the purification of water.

In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided acountercurrent flow separation module comprising:

-   -   (a) a chamber having feed and retentate ends and means for        removing permeate vapor near the feed end;    -   (b) a bundle of thin film composite hollow fiber membranes        arranged substantially parallel to each other in said chamber,        each of said composite hollow fiber membranes comprising a        solvent-resistant PBI hollow support fiber having at least one        permselective coating on a surface thereof, the PBI support        fiber having been formed by and optionally crosslinked by the        methods noted above; and    -   (c) means for securing and sealing the bundle of hollow fiber        membranes to the chamber at its feed and retentate ends so as to        permit fluid communication with a feed stream.        Details of the construction and operation of such a vapor        separation module are exemplified in Examples 28–31 herein and        in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,008, the pertinent        disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

For the removal of water from a feed stream, it is best that thepermselective coating material be more permeable to water than to othercomponents in the feed stream. In this case, the material is preferablyvery hydrophilic. Examples of permselective coating materials useful forremoving water from organics include polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), cellulosicmaterials, chitin and derivatives thereof, polyurethanes, polyamides,polyamines, poly(acrylic acids), poly(acrylates), poly(vinyl acetates),and polyethers. Other polymers normally viewed as not especiallyhydrophilic such as polyolefins, polystyrene, and poly-acrylates can berendered sufficiently hydrophilic to be selective to water vapor byincorporating hydrophilic groups such as hydroxyl, amine, carboxyl,ether, sulfonate, quaternary amine, carboxyl, ether, sulfonate,phosphonate, quaternary amine, and ester functionalities. Such groupscan be incorporated by choosing monomers that contain such groups or byadding them in a post-treatment step such as radiation- orplasma-grafting. Blends and copolymer versions of these materials arealso useful. The coating material should also be crosslinked to providesufficient resistance to swelling or dissolution by components of thefeed stream.

A particularly preferred permselective coating material for dehydrationof organics is a blend of PVA and polyethyleneimine (PEI), wherein thematerial is crosslinked through the amine groups of the PEI using ethylsuccinate by heating to elevated temperatures. By varying the ratio ofPVA to PEI or the amount of ethyl succinate crosslinking agent used, theselectivity and permeability of the membrane may be adjusted. Thiscoating will be extremely effective for vapor permeation applications.However, it will also prove useful for other separations includingdehydration of organics by pervaporation; the removal of water vaporfrom compressed gas streams, such as air and natural gas; and for use infuel cells, allowing the transport of water while restricting thepassage of hydrogen.

A particularly preferred class of permselective coating materials forwater purification by reverse osmosis or nanofiltration is polyamidesformed by interfacial polymerization. Examples of such coatings as foundin U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,582,725, 4,876,009, 4,853,122, 4,259,183, 4,529,646,4,277,344 and 4,039,440, the pertinent disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference.

For the removal of volatile compounds from water or gas streams such asair or nitrogen, the permselective coating is usually, but not always,an elastomeric or rubbery polymer. Examples of materials useful for suchseparations include natural rubber, nitrile rubber;polystyrene-butadiene copolymers; poly(butadiene acrylonitrile) rubber;polyurethanes; polyamides, polyacetylenes; poly(trimethylsilylpropyne);fluoroelastomers; poly(vinylchlorides); poly(phosphazenes), particularlythose with organic substituents; halogenated polymers, such aspoly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(tetrafluoroethylene); andpolysiloxanes, including silicone rubber. Blends and copolymer versionsof these materials are also useful. Ion exchange membranes andcomposites may also be used for some applications. A particularlypreferred coating for the removal of volatile compounds from water orgas streams is poly(dimethylsiloxane) and derivatives thereof.

For separation of organic mixtures, the choice of permselective coatingmaterial will depend on the organics being separated. Many of thepolymers listed above for the dehydration of organics or the removal ofvolatile organics from water or gas streams will work well forseparating certain organic mixtures. In particular, it is common to usecopolymers for separating organics since the ratio of the so-called“hard” and “soft” segments can easily be adjusted to provide the desiredselectivity.

The permselective coating material may be placed on the surface of thesupport fiber using a number of conventional techniques, includingdip-coating, painting, spray-coating, solution-coating, or byinterfacial polymerization. The coating may be placed on the inside(lumens) or outside surface of the support fiber; in most applicationsit is preferred that the coating be placed on the lumens.

EXAMPLE 1

A fiber-spinning solution was prepared consisting of 18 wt %poly(2,2′-[m-phenylene])-5,5′bis-benzimidazole (Hoechst-Celanese,Charlotte, N.C.), 3 wt % PVP (K16–18, Acros Organics, New Jersey) (ahigh molecular weight pore former with a molecular weight of 8000daltons), 22 wt % n-propanol (a low molecular weight pore-former with amolecular weight of 60 daltons), 0.4 wt % water and the balance DMAC.This solution was filtered through a 20 μm polypropylene filter whiletransferring the same to a reservoir held at a pressure of 25 inches ofvacuum. The viscosity of the solution at 50° C. was 13,800 cp. Thefiber-spinning solution was then extruded at a rate of 2 cm³/min at 50°C. through a tube-in-orifice spinneret having an orifice diameter of 800μm and a 27-gage tube using 100% IPA as the internal coagulationsolution. The hollow fiber formed by this extrusion was drawn at a rateof 460 cm/min into a quench bath at 30° C. comprising 75 wt % IPA and 25wt % methanol. The resulting solidified fiber was rinsed in water at 40°C. for about 2 hours, drained, and then rinsed overnight in IPA at roomtemperature.

The resulting microporous hollow fiber membrane had an average internaldiameter of 420 μm and an average wall thickness of 80 μm. Microporosityof the fibers was indicated by their high nitrogen permeance of 25m³/m²·hr·atm. The fibers had a tensile strength of 620 g/filament and anelongation at break of 22%.

To effect crosslinking, samples of the hollow fiber membranes weresoaked for 16 hours in a solution comprising 5 wt % dibromobutane (DBB)in methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) at 100° C., air-dried for about 1 hourand then heat-treated at 150° C. for 3 hours. The resulting fibers hadthe properties shown in Table 1.

EXAMPLE 2

To test the solvent resistance of the fibers, crosslinked anduncrosslinked fiber samples from Example 1 were soaked for 72 hours in asolution of N-methyl pyrollidinone (NMP) at 100° C., which caused theuncrosslinked fibers to dissolve, and the crosslinked fibers to absorbNMP and swell, but-remain intact. As shown in Table 1, the crosslinkedfibers maintained high strength (i.e., greater than 100 g/fil) and highelongation at break values. After drying the crosslinked fibers toremove NMP, their permeance to nitrogen was tested and shown to be thesame as for the crosslinked fibers of Example 1 before exposure to thesolvent and high temperature.

TABLE 1 Elongation at Tensile Strength Break Nitrogen Example No.(g/fil) (%) Permeance* 1 (uncrosslinked) 720 20 25 1 (crosslinked) 92021 45 2 (crosslinked) 250 75 45 2 (uncrosslinked) Dissolved Dissolved —*m³/m² · hr · atm

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE

Hollow fiber membranes were cast as in Example 1 except that no highmolecular weight pore-former was included, the fiber-spinning solutioncomprised 18 wt % PBI, 25 wt % n-propanol, 0.4 wt % water, and thebalance DMAC. The fiber-spinning solution was maintained at 30° C. andthere was no crosslinking. The resulting hollow fibers exhibitedvirtually no permeance to nitrogen.

EXAMPLE 3

Hollow fiber membranes were prepared as in Example 1 with the followingexceptions: the fiber-spinning solution was maintained at a temperatureof 30° C., the viscosity of the fiber-spinning solution at 30° C. was37,000 cp, and there was no crosslinking.

The resulting microporous hollow-fiber had an average internal diameterof 440 μm and an average wall thickness of 100 μm. The microporosity ofthe fibers was indicated by their high nitrogen permeance of 25m³/m²·hr·atm. The fibers had a tensile strength of 720 g/fil and anelongation at break of 20%.

EXAMPLES 4–8

Hollow fiber membranes were prepared as in Example 1 with the internalcoagulation solutions given in Table 2 and there was no crosslinking.The nitrogen permeance, tensile strength, and elongation at break ofthese fibers were as shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Internal Tensile Elongation Coagulation Nitrogen Strength atBreak Example Solution Permeance* (g/fil) (%) 4 85 wt % IPA/15 18 414 15wt % MeOH 5 55 wt % IPA/15 8 399 18 wt % MeOH 6 80 wt % DMAC/20 21 243 7wt % MeOH 7 20 wt % DMAC/80 8 213 5 wt % MeOH 8 28 wt % DMAC/5 wt 4 25915 % water/67 wt % MeOH *m³/m² · hr · atm

EXAMPLES 9–13

Hollow fiber membranes were prepared as in Example 1 except that thequench solution comprised 100% IPA, and the fiber-spinning polymersolution temperatures and internal coagulation solutions were as notedin Table 3, and there was no crosslinking. The nitrogen permeance,tensile strength, and elongation at break of these fibers were as shownin Table 3.

TABLE 3 Polymer Internal Tensile Elongation Exam- Solution CoagulationNitrogen Strength at Break ple Temperature Solution Permeance* (g/fil)(%) 9 30° C. 20 wt % 9 350 14 DMAC in IPA 10 40° C. 20 wt % 5 340 11DMAC in IPA 11 50° C. 20 wt % 9 300 16 DMAC in IPA 12 50° C. 10 wt % 14340 10 DMAC in IPA 13 50° C. 30 wt % 13 290 14 DMAC in IPA *m³/m² · hr ·atm

EXAMPLES 14–23

Hollow fiber membranes were prepared as in Example 1 using thefiber-spinning polymer solution formulations and temperatures, andinternal coagulation solutions listed in Table 4 and using 100% IPA asthe quench solution and with no crosslinking. The nitrogen permeance,tensile strength, and elongation at break of these fibers were as shownin Table 4.

TABLE 4 Polymer Solution Formulation* Polymer Internal Nitrogen TensileElongation PBI PVP N-propanol Water Solution Coagulation Perm- StrengthBreak Ex. (wt %) (wt %) (wt %) (wt %) Temp. Solution eance** (g/fil) (%)14 16 3 22 0.25 30° C. 20 wt % MeOH 45 330 9 in IPA 15 16 5 20 0.4 30°C. 20 wt % DMAC 55 305 12 in IPA 16 16 5 20 0.4 30° C. 100% IPA 87 320 817 16 5 20 0.4 30° C. 30 wt % DMAC 68 400 6 in IPA 18 17 4 21 0.4 30° C.20 wt % DMAC 58 315 11 in IPA 19 17 5 20 0.4 30° C. 20 wt % DMAC 52 32511 in IPA 20 17 5 20 0.4 40° C. 20 wt % DMAC 50 340 10 in IPA 21 18 3 220.4 30° C.  5 wt % MeOH 26 340 7 in IPA 22 18 4 21 0.4 30° C. 20 wt %DMAC 38 455 12 in IPA 23 18 5 20 0.4 30° C. 20 wt % DMAC 36 400 12 inIPA *Balance DMAC **m³/m² · hr · atm

EXAMPLES 24–27

Fibers from Example 1 were crosslinked as in Example 1 except that theconcentration of DBB was varied as indicated in Table 5 and the DBB wasdissolved in methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). The tensile strengths and fiberelongations at break after crosslinking and before and after soaking inNMP for 72 hours at 100° C. are also reported in Table 5.

TABLE 5 After Crosslinking After NMP Soak Tensile Elongation Tensile DBBConc. Strength at Break Strength Elongation Example (wt %) (g/fil) (%)(g/fil) (%) 24 0.2 898 27 150 56 25 0.5 862 27 208 147 26 1.0 985 23 43971 27 5.0 933 19 612 31

EXAMPLE 28

A bundle comprising 20 crosslinked hollow fibers of Example 1 wasincorporated into a module with an epoxy potting compound. The modulewas equipped with a permeate port located near its feed end and a secondport located near its retentate end. The effective length and area ofthe fibers were 38 cm and 96 cm², respectively. The fibers in thismodule were rinsed first with 200 ml of acetone and then with about 200ml of a 0.5 wt % ammonia solution in water.

A selective coating was formed on the inner surface or lumens of thefibers in this module using the following procedure. First, an aqueoussolution comprising 1 wt % N,N′,N″,N′″-tetramethyl tetra-kis-aminomethylmethane and 0.5 wt % triethyl amine was circulated through the fibersfor 2 minutes. This solution was then drained from the fibers by gravityand dry nitrogen was forced down the fiber lumens for 2 minutes. Next, a0.5 wt % solution of isophthaloyl chloride in hexane was circulatedthrough the fiber lumens for 1 minute, resulting in the formation of aninterfacially polymerized polyamide coating on the inner or lumensurface. The coating was dried by forcing dry nitrogen at ambienttemperature down the fiber lumens for 10 minutes, then increasing thetemperature of the dry nitrogen to 60° C. for 16 hours. The resultingcomposite hollow fiber membrane module had a permeability to drynitrogen of less than 0.2 m³/m²·hr·atm.

EXAMPLE 29

The module of Example 28 was evaluated in a reverse osmosis test bycirculating a feed solution comprising 5000 ppm MgSO₄ in water at 25° C.and pH 6 through the fiber lumens at a pressure of 28 atm. The moduleexhibited a water flux of about 110 L/m²·hr and a salt rejection of 99%.

EXAMPLE 30

A module was prepared as in Example 28, except that a second coating wasformed on top of the interfacially polymerized polyamide coating asfollows. Solution A was prepared by dissolving 10 g of polyethyleneiminein 90 g of water to make a 10 wt % solution. Solution B was prepared bydissolving 10 g of polyvinyl alcohol in 90 g of hot (80° C.) water, thenallowed to cool, forming a 10 wt % solution. Solution C was prepared bydissolving 10 g of succinic anhydride and 5 g of 1 M HCl in 85 g of hot(65° C.) ethanol, then allowed to cool. A coating solution was thenformed by mixing 47 g of Solution A, 23 g of Solution B, and 10 g ofSolution C in 10 g water, 10 g ethanol, and two drops of surfactant.

The second coating was applied on top of the polyamide coating byfilling the lumens of the hollow fibers with the second coating solutionfor 1 minute, then draining by gravity. Dry nitrogen at room temperaturewas first forced through the lumens of the fibers for 10 minutes. Themodule was then rotated end-for-end and the process repeated. Hotnitrogen at 80° C. was then forced through the lumens of the fibers for2 hours. The temperature of the nitrogen was then increased to 130° C.and the procedure repeated for 3 hours. Finally, dry nitrogen at ambienttemperature was forced through the lumens of the fibers overnight. Theresulting composite hollow fiber membrane module had a permeability todry nitrogen of less than 0.05 m³/m²·hr·atm.

EXAMPLE 31

A module was prepared as in Example 30 except that a bundle of about2900 fibers was used and the effective membrane area of the module was2.8 m². This module was then tested using a vaporous feed stream of 5.2wt % water in IPA at 91° C. at a flow rate of 0.82 kg/min and a pressureof 1.2 atm (absolute). A sweep stream of dry nitrogen at 57 L/min and90° C. was introduced at the permeate port located near the retentateend of the module. The combined sweep stream/permeate exiting the moduleat the permeate port located near the feed end of the module wasdirected to a vacuum pump, which maintained the pressure on the permeateside of the fibers at about 0.1 atm. The concentration of IPA in thevacuum exhaust was measured to be 0.5 mol %. The vaporous retentatestream exiting the module was condensed and had a water concentration of0.03 wt %. Based on these data, the water permeability of the module wascalculated to be about 9 m³/m²·hr·atm, while the IPA permeability wascalculated to be about 0.0003 m³/m²·hr·atm. Thus, the module had awater/IPA selectivity of about 30,000.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoingspecification are used therein as terms of description and not oflimitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms andexpressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown anddescribed or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of theinvention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

1. A microporous hollow fiber support membrane comprisingsolvent-resistant polybenzimidazole having the followingcharacteristics: (i) surface pores less than one micron in diameter;(ii) nitrogen permeance of at least 5 m³/m²·hr·atm; (iii) tensilestrength of at least 100 g/fil; (iv) elongation at break of at least10%; (v) an inner diameter of from about 200 to about 1000 microns; and(vi) a wall thickness of from about 30 to about 200 microns wherein saidhollow fiber support membrane has been rendered solvent-resistant bycross-linking with an alkyl halide selected from the group consisting of

 where X is selected from Br and Cl, n is an integer of from 1 to 11, ais an integer of from 1 to 10, b is a number of from 0 to 4, and c is anumber of from 0 to
 6. 2. The support membrane of claim 1 having anitrogen permeance of at least 10 m³/m²·hr·atm, a tensile strength of atleast 200 g/fil and an elongation at break of at least 15%.
 3. Thehollow fiber support membrane of claim 1 wherein said crosslinking isconducted by contacting said support membrane with a crosslinkingsolution comprising said alkyl halide in a solvent followed by heatingsaid support membrane sufficiently to cause crosslinking to take place.4. The hollow fiber support membrane of claim 3 wherein said solvent isselected from a ketone and an ether.
 5. The hollow fiber supportmembrane of claim 4 wherein said alkyl halide is dibromobutane, saidsolvent is selected from the group consisting of acetone, methylisobutyl ketone, methyl ethyl ketone and pentanone, and said heating isconducted at a temperature of from 25° to 200° C. for 0.5 to 48 hours.6. The hollow fiber support membrane of claim 3 wherein a surface ofsaid support membrane is coated with at least one permselective coating.7. The hollow fiber support membrane of claim 6 wherein said at leastone permselective coating is a crosslinked polymer selected from thegroup consisting of poly (acrylic acids), poly (acrylates),polyacetylenes, poiy (vinyl acetates), polyacrylonitriles, polyamines,polyamides, polyethers, polyurethanes, polyvinyl alcohols, polyesters,cellulose, cellulose esters, cellulose ethers, chitosan, chitin,polymers containing hydrophilic groups, elastomeric polymers,halogenated polymers, fluoroelastomers, polyvinyl halides,polyphosphazenes, poly(trimethylsilylpropyne), polysiloxanes, poly(dimethyl siloxanes) and copolymers and blends thereof.
 8. A separationmodule comprising: (a) a chamber having feed and retentate ends andmeans for removing permeate near the feed end; (b) a bundle of thin filmcomposite hollow fiber membranes arranged substantially parallel to eachother in said chamber, each of said composite hollow fiber membranescomprising a microporous solvent-resistant hollow fiber support membranecomprising polybenzimidazole having at least one permselective coatingon the surface of said support membrane, said support membrane havingthe following characteristics: (i) surface pores less than one micron indiameter, (ii) nitrogen permeance of at least 5 m³/m²·hr·atm, (iii)tensile strength of at least 100 g/fil, (iv) elongation at break of atleast 10%, (v) an inner diameter of from about 200 to about 1000microns, and (vi) a wall thickness of from about 30 to about 200 micronswherein said hollow fiber support membrane has been renderedsolvent-resistant by cross-linking with an alkyl halide selected fromthe group consisting of

where X is selected from Br and Cl, n is an integer of from 1 to 11, ais an integer of from 1 to 10, b is a number of from 0 to 4, and c is anumber of from 0 to 6; and (c) means for securing and sealing saidbundle of composite hollow fiber membranes to said chamber at said feedand retentate ends so as to permit fluid communication with a feedstream.
 9. The module of claim 8 wherein said support membrane has anitrogen permeance of at least 10 m³/m²·hr·atm, a tensile strength of atleast 200 g/fil and an elongation at break of at least 15%.